


one step closer; two steps back

by itachitachi



Series: Summer Pornathon '10 [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drunken Confessions, Hands Free Magic Sex, M/M, Magic, Magic Revealed, Mildly Dubious Consent, Team Gluttony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 19:10:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2240166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itachitachi/pseuds/itachitachi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur says the magic ought to keep them apart. Merlin determines that magic will keep them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	one step closer; two steps back

**Author's Note:**

> For Pthon 2010 week 1: Tropes! (the tropes of choice were: magic!sex, bodyswap, tentacles, sexswap, wingfic.) This is the uncut and semi-re-edited version.

They'd been sharing some of the kitchen's best cider on Arthur's bed when everything went wrong.

It hadn't _seemed_ wrong. In fact, it had seemed very right, with Arthur flushed and slumping against Merlin's shoulder, breathing hot, cider-y breath into his neck. "Arthur, Arthur," Merlin was mumbling, slipping a suave arm around his waist. He had been waiting so long and was so very, very drunk, so it was almost inevitable when his hand inched itself lower, until he had less of an armful of Arthur than he did a handful of Arthur's arse.

"What are you—" Arthur said, his head tipping up off Merlin's shoulder. "No, Merlin, _no_. We can't!"

"Huh?" Merlin asked, still preoccupied with his hand on Arthur's bum—until Arthur shoved him down flat onto the mattress.

"We _can't be together_ ," Arthur said, looking away from where Merlin was indecently sprawled as if it pained him.

"Why not?" Merlin asked, head spinning. "Is it because we're drunk?" He could fix that.

"No," said Arthur.

"Is—is it because I'm a man?" Merlin asked. If he had to, he could fix that too.

"No," said Arthur.

"Is it because… I'm a peasant?" Merlin asked. "Or your servant?"

"No, and no," said Arthur.

"Then what _is_ it?" Merlin asked.

Arthur sighed. "It's because you're a sorcerer."

"Oh," said Merlin.

**

" _Oh no_ ," said Merlin the next morning, and immediately tried to smother himself in his pillow.

Until he realized that it was actually Arthur's pillow, and that he was still in Arthur's room—at which point he ran away.

**

"Merlin, you will come out of there _this instant_."

"No!"

"Merlin!"

" _No!_ "

**

"I can't believe you knew and didn't _tell_ me," Merlin said furiously, stabbing his needle in and out of the split seam of Arthur's trouser leg.

"Ow! Watch it," Arthur hissed. " _I_ can't believe you were actually trying to keep it a secret from me."

Merlin set his jaw stubbornly. "I don't see why it means you can't bed me," he said. "If you don't care that I'm a peasant, or your servant, or a man, then I don't see why me being a sorcerer has anything to do with it." 

Arthur muttered something.

"What?" asked Merlin, jabbing the needle back along the seam.

"I said, my father wouldn't approve."

Merlin couldn't quite help it when his hands jerked; he stuck Arthur firmly with the sewing needle.

"OW! For the love of God, Merlin, look what you've done!"

"Sorry!" Merlin said, sticking his thumb over the wound, as if he could plug up the flow of blood. "Sorry, it's just—Arthur, do you always think about what your _father_ would think of your bed partners?"

"Of course not!" Arthur glared down at him, probably in an effort to mask how uncomfortable he was. "It's just—with the servant thing, or the man thing, he wouldn't care. What would he say if he knew I was _harbouring_ you, much less bedding you every night?"

Merlin couldn't help it; he smiled. "Every night?"

Arthur flushed.

"I think you have entirely the wrong set of priorities," Merlin said, pulling his thumb away to peer at the wound, still beading up blood. "But, being a loyal, obedient servant, I'm willing to respect your wishes."

"…Really?" Arthur asked, a bit sceptically.

"No," Merlin said. "But, being a sorcerer, I don't actually have to _bed_ you to get what I want, so I think we'll be fine."

"What is that supposed to—" Arthur began, but Merlin cut him off with the simple touch of his thumb back to the wound on his thigh, the barest application of magic.

The shudder that went up Arthur's body was a visible thing. Merlin could almost feel its mirror image tingling under his own skin, and the sound of the involuntary moan that Arthur let out made something catch in Merlin's own chest. He pushed at Arthur's thighs until Arthur stepped back, shocked and compliant, and then he kept pushing with his magic until Arthur's back hit the wall.

"Merlin," Arthur said helplessly. The way he looked at Merlin seemed almost dazed, it was so needy.

Merlin paused there, careful, until Arthur sighed and closed his eyes, head tilting slowly up. Arthur's fingers curled against the stone of the wall, and Merlin wanted to cover them with his.

He pinned them there instead, with just a glance.

"No bed, see," Merlin said. With the flick of a finger, he unlaced Arthur's trousers. "I won't even touch you. Nothing to complain about."

Arthur moaned as his trousers began the intimate slide down his thighs, his cock freeing itself and bobbing in the empty air, already hard. Merlin stared at it and licked his lips.

"I won't touch you," he whispered, almost to himself, as Arthur began arching under the invisible onslaught. "Not until you tell me to."


End file.
